The Hopes of falling in with the Spanish Fleet expressed in my Letter
to you of the 13th Instant, were confirmed that Night, by our
distinctly hearing the Report of their Signal Guns, and by Intelligence
received from Captain Foote, of His Majesty`s Ship the Niger, who had,
with equal Judgment and Perseverance, kept Company with them for
several Days, on my prescribed Rendezvous (which, from the strong
South-East Winds, I had never been able to reach) and that they were
not more than the Distance of Three or Four Leagues from us.

I anxiously awaited the Dawn of Day, when, being on the Starboard Tack, Cap St. Vincent bearing
East by North Eight Leagues, I had the Satisfaction of seeing a Number of Ships extending from South-West to South.

At Forty-nine Minutes past Ten, the Weather
being extremly hazy, La Bonne Citoyen made the Signal that the Ships seen were of the Line, Twenty-five in Number.

His
Majesty´s Squadron under my Command, consisting of the Fifteen
Ships of the Line named in the Margin, happily formed in the most
compact Order of Sailing, in Two Lines.

By
carrying a Press of Sail I was fortunate in getting in with the Enemys
Fleet at Half past Eleven o`Clock , before I had Time to connect, and
form a regular Order of Battle.

Such
a Moment was not to be lost ; and confident in the Skill, Valour and
Discipline of the Officers and Men I had the Happiness to command and
judging that the Honor of His Majesty´s Arms and the
Circumstances of the War in these Seas required a considerable Degree
of Enterprize, I felt myself justified in departing from the regular
System ; and passing through their Fleet, in a Line formed with the
utmost Celerity, tacked, and thereby seperated Onethird from the main
Body, after a partial Cannonade, which prevented their Rejunction till
the Evening ; and by the very great Exertions of the Ships which had
the good Fortune to arrive up with the Enemy on the Larboard Tack, the
Ships named in the Margin were captured, and the Action ceased about
Five o`Clock in the Evening.

I
enclose the most correct List I have been able to obtain of the Spanish
Fleet opposed to me, amounting of Twenty-seven Sail of the Line, and
Account of the Killed and Wounded in His Majesty´s Ships , as
well as in those taken from the Enemy.

The
Moment the latter (almost totally dismasted) and His Majesty´s
Ships the Captain and the Culloden are in a State to put to Sea I shall
avail myself of the forst favourable Wind to proceed off Cape St.
Vincent in my Way to Lisbon.

Captain
Calder, whose able Assistance has greatly contributed my command, ist
the Bearer of this and will more particularly describe to the Lords
Comissioners of the Admirality the Movements of the Squadron on the
14th, and the present State of it.